A Parent’s Guide to Self-harm

Selfharm UK have published 'A Parent’s Guide to Self-harm'. Self-harm remains an issue largely misunderstood, and yet is affecting more and more young people in the UK. The 36-page guide has clear recommendations and contributions from leading experts, parents and young people themselves for any parent or carer.

They have also published an article 'Ten Top Tips for Parents of Children who Self-Harm'.

Here are the first five:

1. Keep calm – Yep, we know, it’s against every instinct you have….but pretend, even if you don’t feel like it;
2. Try not to ask ‘why?’, ‘is it my fault because…’
3. Ensure you have dealt with any immediate safety/first aid issues eg: if cutting, are wounds clean and sterile? If medication has been taken, do you know how much of what?
4. Don’t tell your child to stop; trust us on this. If you take away the items they are currently using as a coping strategy, they may find something else less ‘safe’
5. Keep it on a ‘need to know’ basis within your family and friends: do siblings need to know? Do aunties, grandparents, friends need to know right now? As a parent you will need support through this so maybe choose one person you trust to talk to.